Winters Coming: For those intimidated about how to drive in the snow, a How-To! - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Arachnyd · 10-17-2011, 08:19 PM

How to drive a camaro in winter: Because too many people seem afraid of it, and winter is on its way. I adapted something I wrote before specifically to the camaro.

New sports car drivers, especially stick drivers seem to be overly afraid of winter. Manuals can actually be BETTER in the snow than autos! (however, the Camaro’s tap shift allows even the auto to do well when driven in manual mode!)

What you need: Winter or All Season tires, Four sand bags, two strips of carpet, and a small shovel if you park on street or outside.

1. Put on snow tires or at least all seasons. Pirelli Pzeros will NOT work in snow and ice… plain and simple. In really deep snow, consider a pair of chains to keep in your trunk.

2. Buy some sand bags to put in the trunk. I recommend about 240 lbs (four 60 lbs). Make sure you have two on each side, and put them as far towards the rear of the vehicle as possible.

3. Drive slowly and carefully- You own a camaro. You probably want to drive it like it’s a camaro. Don’t do that during winter though… drive slowly and carefully even when you don’t want to. Save the fun driving for a good-weather day!

4. Turning: What a lot of people forget to realize is what they learned in 6th grade physics. Accellerating is simply a change in velocity. This can be done in three ways, speeding up, slowing down, and changing direction. Just like when racing, you never want to do more than one of these at a time in limited traction scenarios. For that reason, what they teach you in race schools applies to turning in snow- BRAKE before you turn, then turn, then accelerate. Do NOT brake IN a turn, and use caution when accelerating IN a turn.

5. Starting: If the camaro slips when your trying to accelerate from a stop, ease up on the gas! If your driving an auto, put it in 2 to lock the transmission into 2nd gear. If you are driving a manual V6, start in 2nd gear (skip first). If you are in a V8, consider 2nd or even 3rd gear to get going. Look ahead and keep distance from vehicles in front of you! The camaro is a heavy car, and even all season tires may not grip as well as the truck in front of you with snow tires. Double the distance you normally would and keep your eyes open for brake lights!

6. Stopping: When stopping, brake well in advance, apply the brakes gently. You don’t want to skid if you don’t have to. If you start skidding lay off the brakes. If your driving a stick, downshift into stops. Try to always have an “out” when braking- know where you can go if you cant stop fast enough (parking lot entrance, median, berm)

7. When skidding- Properly navigating a skid is like braking without antilock brakes. Its ideal, but its difficult for most people- especially under pressure. For this reason, if your less experienced what is typically recommended now days is to simply reduce power (let off gas… don’t brake!), and turn the steering wheel the direction you want to go. I repeat… don’t brake! Intuition will handle your steering! Don’t steer too far though (if your not turning, that doesn’t mean you want to turn the wheel FURTHER- just simply keep it pointed where you want to go). For more experienced drivers, you want to navigate towards the direction of the skid to quickly regain traction and then ease into the direction you want to go. This sounds simple, but is much more difficult under pressure.

8. Hills: Try not to brake. When going down hills, downshift in a manual. Auto drivers may benefit from using tap shift and downshifting also. Coast down the hill, but do not let your car get out of control. If you must brake, slow and steady is the way to go. Don’t pump it or feather it. When going up hills, speed up before hitting the incline to carry your momentum into the hill. If you’ve tried to get up a hill multiple times with no luck, try to back up first- back up and get a “running start”, building momentum to get up the hill. Drive up the treads of other vehicles… or don’t! if the treads of other vehicles really is down to bare concrete, that will give you more traction- however, frequently they’ve just polished off the ice for you. Sometimes you can actually get more traction in the snow. Try driving up slightly off center with your treads in the snow. You might slip a bit, but you often get more traction going up than you would trying to drive up slick ice! Lastly, FWD and 4x4s benefit from shaking the steering wheel back and foreth to gain traction. In rare situations, even a RWD can use that trick to move the car just enough to get a tiny bit of grip. It is worth a shot if all else fails!

9. Getting stuck- Keep two pieces of short piece of old carpet in your trunk. If your stuck on ice in a parking space, you can put the carpet under the rear tires to get traction. Learn to “rock” your car if necessary, but don’t do it too long. You can easily burn out the transmission. Rocking is quickly going from “D to R” in an auto, or “1 to R” in reverse (or 2 to R in ice). Rock the car back and foreth trying to get better traction. This works effectively with the carpet trick as you rock the car onto carpet. If the car is REALLY stuck, use a shovel to clear out area on front of the front AND rear wheels, as well as in front of the bumper if its high enough to get in your way.

10. PRACTICE- if your not familiar with driving in winter (or driving a RWD or stick in winter), go practice! Even seasoned veterans benefit from a quick romp in a parking lot. Using an empty parking lot during the first snow, practice braking, skidding, and seeing how the car handles in the snow. When practicing, throw your car into a skid and do some donuts. Seriously, just get a feeling for how your car does things in snow and how to get it out of skids.

11. Other tips and tricks: Foggy front window? Open your front windows slightly and turn AC on air recirculation. The AC actually removes moisture from the car! If you park your car outside, consider buying a ice shield. These make leaving in the morning 10x easier. Although its $26 here, I paid $1 at the dollar store for the same thing. I’ve also seen them at walmart: http://www.amazon.com/Auto-Expressions-5048114-Warrior-Windshield/dp/B000BYRHIS . If traction control literally freezes both of your tires, turn it off when conquering an obstacle. Most drivers will want to turn it back on for normal driving in winter!

12. Winter Service: Make sure your car is in good condition and properly serviced. Sounds silly, but this leads to most winter car issues.

If you live where there is a lot of salt, consider getting the underbody protection. Underbody protection is only as good as it is applied, so do due diligence when choosing an underbody protector.

Wash the UNDERBODY of your car between salt cycles. Salt is one of the most detrimental elements to cars, and getting an underbody spray can keep it clean.

IBM · 10-17-2011, 08:36 PM

Nice writeup!

Kurushio · 10-17-2011, 08:48 PM

I just drive a 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 after the first snow lol. Then i dont drive the camaro again until most of the salt is gone. Still unless you live closer to the great lakes or where it is always cold during the winter i wouldnt use winter tires.

hunter1660 · 10-17-2011, 09:00 PM

What's snow???.....never seen any in Florida....I was to keep that secret

KnuckleBuster · 10-17-2011, 09:04 PM

Very good write up!

One thing I would like to add though about #2 is:

Yes, that extra 240 lbs in the trunk is going to help for traction, but, It's also giving you 240 lbs of extra momentum that you have to take into account when stopping, turning or driving on ice.
It's going to take longer to stop, more sideways momentum going into turns, etc.

Hope this helps too.

rdblan2 · 10-17-2011, 09:08 PM

And soon to come are the daily how to store my camaro / which battery charger is best / do I start it threads.

daveagogo1 · 10-17-2011, 09:29 PM

One of the first things i did when i lived in MI each winter was to drain and replace my windshield washer fluid with the anti-freeze type. This really helped get that morning ice off the windshield and did not refreeze like the normal stuff does.

Kurushio · 10-17-2011, 11:17 PM

There was one winter with my 95 that it snowed a good 8-10 inches and that morning when i tried to go to work i couldnt get out of the drive way for over half an hour. The air dam underneath was acting like a blow and i could only go so far before i had to stop and back up. Then i got a shovel and shoveled most of the way there.

Now with the jeep 4x4 i have no problems but other people in my way. Handles like crap until the snow and then i absolutely love it.

garfin · 10-17-2011, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnuckleBuster

Very good write up!

One thing I would like to add though about #2 is:

Yes, that extra 240 lbs in the trunk is going to help for traction, but, It's also giving you 240 lbs of extra momentum that you have to take into account when stopping, turning or driving on ice.
It's going to take longer to stop, more sideways momentum going into turns, etc.

Hope this helps too.

Exactly! With the right tires and a light foot, that amount of weight is more of a detriment than it is a help...
As far as getting stuck is concerned, if you are trying to get "unstuck", remember to keep your front wheels pointing straight!! I can't tell you how many people I've watched trying to (unsuccessfully) extricate themselves from deep snow with their front wheels turned, which provides even more resistance against the snow!!

Best regards,

Elie

BadAssBumbleBee · 10-17-2011, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurushio

I just drive a 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 after the first snow lol. Then i dont drive the camaro again until most of the salt is gone.

What he said.........except I drive an '09 Jeep JK Rubicon.

We can get some crazy snowfall up here. This was back in January 1999 when I had my '95 YJ............

RIPws6 · 10-17-2011, 11:27 PM

How effective are the chains?

*Mr. Wyndham* · 10-17-2011, 11:38 PM

BBAmigo,

Thanks for writing that up!! An excellent read for new and experienced winter-drivers alike!

REDXIIIDave · 10-18-2011, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dire Wolf

Or better yet get a 4x4 and leave the Camaro in the garage when it snows.

Arachnyd · 10-18-2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIPws6

How effective are the chains?

I had very good luck with chains on a RWD truck in upstate NY. I didn't use them full time though, I'd mainly use them like the "carpet trick" above, just using them to get out of stuck situations or after a particularly bad day when I needed to get down the street but there was some pretty intense snow and ice.

I know chains are even illegal in some areas, so be careful where you take them!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dire Wolf

Or better yet get a 4x4 and leave the Camaro in the garage when it snows.

I have a Ram 1500 4x4 AND a Jeep CJ... and if it gets bad enough? how about an Arctic Cat ZRT600 (snowmobile).

Some people can't afford a 4x4 though, and others live in areas where the snow is rare enough not to justify it. I live in Cincinnati, OH for example.. We only get snow bad enough to justify a 4x4 maybe 4-5 times a year...

heck, I remember last year in Houston Texas a bunch of cars wrecked because they got like an inch of snow or something one day??

10-17-2011, 08:19 PM	#1
Arachnyd Master of all trades Drives: 2many2count Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: West Chester, OH (near cincy) Posts: 732	Winters Coming: For those intimidated about how to drive in the snow, a How-To! How to drive a camaro in winter: Because too many people seem afraid of it, and winter is on its way. I adapted something I wrote before specifically to the camaro. New sports car drivers, especially stick drivers seem to be overly afraid of winter. Manuals can actually be BETTER in the snow than autos! (however, the Camaro’s tap shift allows even the auto to do well when driven in manual mode!) What you need: Winter or All Season tires, Four sand bags, two strips of carpet, and a small shovel if you park on street or outside. 1. Put on snow tires or at least all seasons. Pirelli Pzeros will NOT work in snow and ice… plain and simple. In really deep snow, consider a pair of chains to keep in your trunk. 2. Buy some sand bags to put in the trunk. I recommend about 240 lbs (four 60 lbs). Make sure you have two on each side, and put them as far towards the rear of the vehicle as possible. 3. Drive slowly and carefully- You own a camaro. You probably want to drive it like it’s a camaro. Don’t do that during winter though… drive slowly and carefully even when you don’t want to. Save the fun driving for a good-weather day! 4. Turning: What a lot of people forget to realize is what they learned in 6th grade physics. Accellerating is simply a change in velocity. This can be done in three ways, speeding up, slowing down, and changing direction. Just like when racing, you never want to do more than one of these at a time in limited traction scenarios. For that reason, what they teach you in race schools applies to turning in snow- BRAKE before you turn, then turn, then accelerate. Do NOT brake IN a turn, and use caution when accelerating IN a turn. 5. Starting: If the camaro slips when your trying to accelerate from a stop, ease up on the gas! If your driving an auto, put it in 2 to lock the transmission into 2nd gear. If you are driving a manual V6, start in 2nd gear (skip first). If you are in a V8, consider 2nd or even 3rd gear to get going. Look ahead and keep distance from vehicles in front of you! The camaro is a heavy car, and even all season tires may not grip as well as the truck in front of you with snow tires. Double the distance you normally would and keep your eyes open for brake lights! 6. Stopping: When stopping, brake well in advance, apply the brakes gently. You don’t want to skid if you don’t have to. If you start skidding lay off the brakes. If your driving a stick, downshift into stops. Try to always have an “out” when braking- know where you can go if you cant stop fast enough (parking lot entrance, median, berm) 7. When skidding- Properly navigating a skid is like braking without antilock brakes. Its ideal, but its difficult for most people- especially under pressure. For this reason, if your less experienced what is typically recommended now days is to simply reduce power (let off gas… don’t brake!), and turn the steering wheel the direction you want to go. I repeat… don’t brake! Intuition will handle your steering! Don’t steer too far though (if your not turning, that doesn’t mean you want to turn the wheel FURTHER- just simply keep it pointed where you want to go). For more experienced drivers, you want to navigate towards the direction of the skid to quickly regain traction and then ease into the direction you want to go. This sounds simple, but is much more difficult under pressure. 8. Hills: Try not to brake. When going down hills, downshift in a manual. Auto drivers may benefit from using tap shift and downshifting also. Coast down the hill, but do not let your car get out of control. If you must brake, slow and steady is the way to go. Don’t pump it or feather it. When going up hills, speed up before hitting the incline to carry your momentum into the hill. If you’ve tried to get up a hill multiple times with no luck, try to back up first- back up and get a “running start”, building momentum to get up the hill. Drive up the treads of other vehicles… or don’t! if the treads of other vehicles really is down to bare concrete, that will give you more traction- however, frequently they’ve just polished off the ice for you. Sometimes you can actually get more traction in the snow. Try driving up slightly off center with your treads in the snow. You might slip a bit, but you often get more traction going up than you would trying to drive up slick ice! Lastly, FWD and 4x4s benefit from shaking the steering wheel back and foreth to gain traction. In rare situations, even a RWD can use that trick to move the car just enough to get a tiny bit of grip. It is worth a shot if all else fails! 9. Getting stuck- Keep two pieces of short piece of old carpet in your trunk. If your stuck on ice in a parking space, you can put the carpet under the rear tires to get traction. Learn to “rock” your car if necessary, but don’t do it too long. You can easily burn out the transmission. Rocking is quickly going from “D to R” in an auto, or “1 to R” in reverse (or 2 to R in ice). Rock the car back and foreth trying to get better traction. This works effectively with the carpet trick as you rock the car onto carpet. If the car is REALLY stuck, use a shovel to clear out area on front of the front AND rear wheels, as well as in front of the bumper if its high enough to get in your way. 10. PRACTICE- if your not familiar with driving in winter (or driving a RWD or stick in winter), go practice! Even seasoned veterans benefit from a quick romp in a parking lot. Using an empty parking lot during the first snow, practice braking, skidding, and seeing how the car handles in the snow. When practicing, throw your car into a skid and do some donuts. Seriously, just get a feeling for how your car does things in snow and how to get it out of skids. 11. Other tips and tricks: Foggy front window? Open your front windows slightly and turn AC on air recirculation. The AC actually removes moisture from the car! If you park your car outside, consider buying a ice shield. These make leaving in the morning 10x easier. Although its $26 here, I paid $1 at the dollar store for the same thing. I’ve also seen them at walmart: http://www.amazon.com/Auto-Expressions-5048114-Warrior-Windshield/dp/B000BYRHIS . If traction control literally freezes both of your tires, turn it off when conquering an obstacle. Most drivers will want to turn it back on for normal driving in winter! 12. Winter Service: Make sure your car is in good condition and properly serviced. Sounds silly, but this leads to most winter car issues. If you live where there is a lot of salt, consider getting the underbody protection. Underbody protection is only as good as it is applied, so do due diligence when choosing an underbody protector. Wash the UNDERBODY of your car between salt cycles. Salt is one of the most detrimental elements to cars, and getting an underbody spray can keep it clean. __________________ 2010 Camaro SS modified extensively. I stretched the body to make it a 4 door, but I swapped in the 3.6L DI V6 for fuel economy. Then I picked up a corvette body around the V8. I also swapped the body for a C2 Z28. (In short I traded it for three cars, a Corvette Z06r, a C2 Camaro Z28, and a Cadillac CTS Summer Performance package 3.6L DI with Aisin 6spd.) Last edited by Arachnyd; 10-17-2011 at 08:48 PM. Reason: Spacing

10-17-2011, 09:04 PM	#5
KnuckleBuster A Virginia Drifter Drives: Pick-um-up Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cebu, Philippines Posts: 208 View My Garage	Very good write up! One thing I would like to add though about #2 is: Yes, that extra 240 lbs in the trunk is going to help for traction, but, It's also giving you 240 lbs of extra momentum that you have to take into account when stopping, turning or driving on ice. It's going to take longer to stop, more sideways momentum going into turns, etc. Hope this helps too. __________________ I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.

10-17-2011, 09:08 PM	#6
rdblan2 Drives: 2SS RS Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: MD Posts: 1,272	And soon to come are the daily how to store my camaro / which battery charger is best / do I start it threads. __________________ Livernois 2C cam and tune, LS3 conversion, Roto-Fab intake, Kooks headers, DSS driveshaft and axles, BMR suspension parts, VMax ported throttle body, Whipple blower. (623hp).

10-17-2011, 11:38 PM	#12
Mr. Wyndham I used to be Dragoneye... Drives: 2018 ZL1 1LE Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 31,873 View My Garage	BBAmigo, Thanks for writing that up!! An excellent read for new and experienced winter-drivers alike! __________________ *"Keep the faith."* - Fbodfather

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10-17-2011, 08:36 PM	#2
IBM Drives: '11 2LT/RS IBM Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: N. Kentucky Posts: 1,050	Nice writeup! __________________

10-17-2011, 08:48 PM	#3
Kurushio Drives: 2011 CGM 1LT RS (M6) Join Date: May 2010 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 703	I just drive a 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 after the first snow lol. Then i dont drive the camaro again until most of the salt is gone. Still unless you live closer to the great lakes or where it is always cold during the winter i wouldnt use winter tires.

10-17-2011, 09:00 PM	#4
hunter1660 Drives: 2011ss/rs camaro Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: florida Posts: 1,261	What's snow???.....never seen any in Florida....I was to keep that secret

10-17-2011, 11:17 PM	#8
Kurushio Drives: 2011 CGM 1LT RS (M6) Join Date: May 2010 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 703	There was one winter with my 95 that it snowed a good 8-10 inches and that morning when i tried to go to work i couldnt get out of the drive way for over half an hour. The air dam underneath was acting like a blow and i could only go so far before i had to stop and back up. Then i got a shovel and shoveled most of the way there. Now with the jeep 4x4 i have no problems but other people in my way. Handles like crap until the snow and then i absolutely love it.

10-17-2011, 11:27 PM	#11
RIPws6 Drives: 2019 2SS Riverside Blue Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 417	How effective are the chains?